Knitting machine and method



g- 4, 1964 o. FREGEOLLE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD 9 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 27. 1960 INVENTOR. OSCAR FEEGEOLLE.

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KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 27. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. OSCAR FEEGEOLLE'.

A TTORNEY Aug. 4, 1964 o. FREGEOLLE 3,142,975

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 27. 1969 9 Sheets-Sheet 3 I LU INVENTOR. OSCAR FREGEOLLE.

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KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed D80. 27, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 4 g I 1 /2a\ ilal BY oscme P222251 55 A TTORNE Y g- 4, 1964 o. FREGEOLLE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Y mu w y w w w IF R A 1 5 m M Y at B 5 4, 1964 o. FREGEOLLE 3,142,975

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 27. 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 6 IN V EN TOR.

OSCAR FRE'G'EOLLE .4 TTORNEY 1964 o. FREGEOLLE KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD 9 Sheets-Sheet 7 COUNTER Cwcmws:

Filed Dec. 27, 1960 INVENTOR. OSCAR FREGEOLLE.

g- 4, 1954 o. FREGEOLLE 3,142,975

KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 27. 1960 s Sheets-Sheet a Q Q C D INVEN TOR. OSCAR FREGEOLLE.

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, KNITTING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Dec. 27, 1960 9 Sheets-Sheet 9 Was/m 63 V IN V EN TOR. OSCAR FREGEOLLE A TTORNE Y United States Patent 3,142,975 KNHTTING MACHHJE AND NETHQD Oscar Fregeolie, Lincoln, Rh, assignor to Draper Corporation, Hopedale, Mass, a corporation of Maine Filed Dec. 27, 1960, Ser. No. 78,719 7 Claims. (Cl. 66-48) This invention relates to improvements in knitting machines and methods of knitting specifically useful in the production of a stocking toe.

It is the general object of the invention to devise a method of forming a toe in an article of hosiery by which a toe heretofore contemplated, but only recently produced commercially, may be readily knitted on an existing type of hosiery machine and also so to modify that machine as to make possible the carrying out of the method.

It is a more specific object to provide a method and mechanism for knitting a toe comprised of two opposed tabs formed by narrowing only, both of the tabs being formed simultaneously, whereby the speed at which such a toe is knitted may be substantially doubled.

It is a further object to provide a circular knitting machine having at least two feeding stations with means for retiring end needles from action at each of the two stations so that one of the tabs may be formed at one station while the second tab is being simultaneously formed at the second station.

A further object is that of forming such hosiery in a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having at least two feeding stations through which needles are passed in reciprocatory knitting for an angular extent of travel at least sufiicient to cause all needles to pass through both of those stations at each stroke.

It is a further object to provide a novel combination of stitch cams, picks and pick actuating mechanism.

Further objects will become apparent from the following more detailed disclosure.

For a great many years the toes of circularly knitted hosiery have been formed by reciprocatory knitting while narrowing and then widening to shape the toe pocket, after which a small amount of added material has been knitted to serve for handling and for looping purposes. These so-called loopers rounds have been formed in circular work. The looping has normally been confined to the top of the foot, but in instances, notably in ladies seamless wear, the seam is located at the bottom.

According to certain older disclosures, e.g., the Henshall, United States Patent No. 388,678 of 1888, it has been suggested that one might form a toe by narrowing only, this being done first at the bottom and then the top of the foot section after which loopers rounds may be knitted, the resultant product being looped to close the toe. While this concept has been more or less complete insofar as the concept of a knitted article only is concerned, it does not appear that anyone has taught the art how to accomplish this desired result in a practical fashion, that is, in a commercial hosiery knitting machine.

According to the instant invention which relates more particularly to a method and mechanism by which such a toe is to be made in a machine of the S.C.P. and S.C.O.P. type manufactured by Hemphill Company of Pawtucket, Rhode Island and now Wildman Jacquard Co. of Norristown, Pennsylvania, a knitting machine of that type is provided with at least two yarn feeding and knitting stations. The needles carried in a conventional needle cylinder are rotated past or through cams at said stations and also may be reciprocated through them, the angular extent of reciprocation being slightly less than two complete revolutions so that all of the needles pass 3,142,875 Patented Aug. 4, 1964 "ice through both of the feeding stations and their cams at a single stroke.

The needles in that type of machine are normally divided into two equal groups of short and long lengthed butts, the short butt needles sometimes being further subdivided into short and medium lengthed butts. For the purposes of the present invention, however, all needles will be termed as either short butt or long butt needles.

One type of selecting means and earns function in conjunction with pattern devices to control needles in positioning the short butt needles for knitting an instep tab at one of the feeding stations and the long butt needles for knitting a sole tab at the second feeding station, and also to govern needles as to confine them to inactive paths when they are not to enter into active participation in knitting a tab.

Briefly, the toe is formed by knitting the instep tab upon one-half, more or less, of the total complement of needles, preferably the short butt needles, and at what will be termed the auxiliary feeding station. These needles are caused to pass through knitting cams at that station in reciprocatory knitting and knit once at each stroke, being rendered inactive at their other or second passage through the cams in a manner well known in the art and as disclosed, for example, in United States Patent No. 2,217,022, that is, by withdrawing selecting plungers.

At the same time the sole tab is being formed by knit ting with the long butt needles at what will be termed the regular or main feeding station. These needles knit during the same portion of the stroke as do the short butt needles, and, similarly, they are rendered inactive at their second passage through the cams at the regular feeding station by withdrawing the needle raise cam as soon as it has selected all the long butt needles once.

Narrowing of the sole tab is effected by conventional picks at the regular feeding station, the picked long butt needles remaining at an inactive level until lowered by a special draw-down cam devised for that purpose. Narrowing of the instep tab is eifected by means of a novel double acting pick effective in both directions of reciprocation and acting in conjunction with a slidable cam member which both directs the leading needle into the pick by means of one cammed surface thereof and also raises that needle further to the proper level by means of a second cammed surface.

Knitting continues until a desired length of tab is formed, a needle being withdrawn from action from each tab in each direction of reciprocation. The picks are then withdrawn, the needles picked up are lowered into the knitting track by a draw-down cam acting upon both the long and short butt needles, and all the remaining needles are selected to knit as the loopers rounds are started. These loopers rounds are formed in any practical number and the toe is then closed on a looper, sewing machine or the like.

The invention will now be described in greater detail by reference to a specific embodiment thereof as illustrated in the accompanying figures of drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view showing a half hose which has been knitted according to the invention herein described and claimed.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the toe after it has been closed.

FIG. 3 is a detail view of pattern cams which control certain of the movable needle cams at the rear of the cylinder.

FIG. 4 is a view showing details of a further part of this cam control, elements being illustrated in their several positions.

FIG. 5 is a View in plan showing means for further controlling one of rear pattern cams during each reciprocation of the needle cylinder.

FIG. 6 is a similar view of such a control mechanism for the front needle raise cam.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of a further control means for that cam.

FIG. 8 is a similar View of the control means for the front needle draw-down cam.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the cylinder, needles and yarn feeding stations.

FIG. 10 is a plan view, partly in section, showing the cam blocks and the needle raise or narrowing picks at each station.

FIG. 10a is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the auxiliary station narrowing pick and its supporting means.

FIG. 11 is a plan view of the auxiliary feeding station including further details thereof.

FIG. 12 is an elevational View of the auxiliary feeding station showing the needle actuating mechanism thereat including cams and picks, and as seen from the interior of the knitting machine excluding the needle cylinder.

FIG. 13 is an elevational view of the auxiliary cam block as. seen from the exterior thereof.

FIG. 14 is a further plan view of the auxiliary cam block.

FIG. 15 is a front elevation thereof, partly in section, and including the narrowing pick control means.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a part of that control means.

FIG. 17 is an isometric View of the needle selecting jacks including the lower portions of the needles.

FIGS. 18 to 23 are diagrammatic showings of needle and jack cams including butt pathways at representative periods during the knitting of the toe.

Now referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the toe is shown in an article of hosiery knitted in both rotary and reciprocatory work, preferably in the well-known Banner S.C.O.P. circular hosiery machine mentioned above. Such a stocking has a top 36 preferably of simulated rib work incorporating an elastic yarn, a leg 31, heel 32, and foot 33. The heel may be formed by narrowing and widening in the usual manner.

While the toe need not be a part of a patterned stocking, nor need it be a part of a stocking patterned in some particular way, it is, however, specially adapted to be made as a part of hosiery in which a solid color pattern is also knitted. Here a pattern comprises semi-cylindrical vertical panels 34 and 34- which may extend all the way to the toe as shown or which may terminate at the heel and each of which is of a different color. Additional pattern effects may be added by providing a pair of differently colored inlaid stripes 35 extending along each seam and within the instep panel 34. The method and mechanism by which such a pattern is produced are well known and need no further description here. This pattern must, of course, be knitted in reciprocation, but it is to be understood that countless other configurations are equally possible and the invention is by no means dependent upon a pattern or a particular pattern.

In FIG. 1 the toe comprises top and bottom tabs 36 and 3'7, each formed on one-half the full complement of needles, more or less and by reciprocatory knitting and narrowing as will be described in detail.

FIG. 2 shows the toe closed, that being accomplished by linking in some suitable and practical way, at the loopers rounds 38, for example, by means of the conventional looper or sewing as in more conventional or special sewing machines adapted to the purpose. A seam 39, thus formed, may be of the same or a different type of yarn from that of the loopers rounds. It may be elastic, that is, may comprise rubber of some form or may be one of the so-called stretch yarns which afford a considerable range of elongation.

The mechanism herein set forth is primarily designed to knit one of the toe tabs at one of a pair of yarn feeding stations and the other of the tabs at the second feeding station, a single course of fabric being knitted in each tab during each stroke of the needle cylinder. The latter is adapted to reciprocate about one and three-fourths turns in each direction so that all of the needles pass through each of the feeding stations and its cams at least once per stroke, one group of needles being caused to knit at a given station to the exclusion of the other.

Referring to FIGS. 17 and 18, the various cams and selecting means will now be described. Needles 40, preferably of the latch type, have butts divided into two groups, long butts 42 and short butts 43. In the particular machine to be described, each group may comprise 42. needles (FIG. 17) extending around one-half of the cylinder 44. The long butts are preferably identified with the heel or sole side of the stocking, with the short butts knitting at the instep. Each needle has a selecting jack &5 beneath it and these jacks have selecting butts 46, a master butt 47, and a plain sole butt 48. The selecting but-ts are capable of being broken out at will to set up a pattern and the plain sole butts are arranged in long and short butt groups.

There are two knitting and feeding stations in these machines, one being designated as a regular or main feeding station 49 and the other as the auxiliary feeding station 56 on opposite sides of the machine (FIG. 9). The regular feeding station has front and rear stitch earns 51 and 52, a center cam 53 having a wing cam 54 mounted thereon, the ends 55 and 56 of which are angled downwardly as shown to serve in raising picked needles to a level above the wing cam. The cams at each of the two feeding stations are fixedly mounted with respect to each other and at equal levels, respectively.

Narrowing picks 57 and 58 are somewhat conventional and are controlled to be projected into and withdrawn from action. Needle raise cams 59 and 60 complete the group at the regular feeding station.

At the auxiliary side there are provided front and rear stitch cams 61 and 62., raise cams 63 and 64, and widening picks 65 and 66 which function in heel knitting and are conventional in construction, control and operation.

The needle cams above-mentioned are to be found in some form on all S.C.O.P. type machines although not in the identical form in each instance. In addition, for present purposes, there are provided at either side of the regular feeding and knitting group, needle raise earns 67 at the front and 68 at the rear which are individually controllable to be withdrawn from action completely, and to be permitted to drop in to engage long butts only or both long and short butts. In a given direction of reciprocation only one of these cams will be working, the other of the two being withdrawn at that time in a manner and by mechanism later to be explained in detail.

Two other cams 69 and 70, designated as needle drawdown cams, may also be controlled to be moved in against the cylinder and withdrawn to an inactive position. When in active position they draw needles which have been moving in an elevated or instep pathway down to a level to pass up over the back of one of the earns 51 or 52 and to knit at the regular feeding station.

Guard cams 71 and 72 function with cams 69 and to assure that butts cannot engage the latter other than as intended. A further guard cam 73 functions in the usual way above the auxiliary cam block.

Stitch cams at the regular feed are specially devised by forming them with their butt raising edges recessed as shown to provide a pocket within which the narrowing pick at that side is seated when in active position. This recess is guarded by a point or elevated butt raising portion 74 or 75 as the case may be. In action the extra or added portion of a stitch cam raises the needle butts to an elevation at which 'a butt can enter the pick notch. The pick can then raise that needle until its butt engages the inclined part 55 or 56 of the wing cam, whereupon that needle will then be elevated to an inactive or instep level.

Four selecting units are provided, designated as A, B, C and D, one in advance of each cam block, both at the front and back thereof so that a selection may be made at each reciprocatory knitting stroke and also at either feeding station. These are generally similar to those described in United States Patent No. 2,217,022 and contain a plurality of independently movable selecting plungers 76 engageable when pushed inwardly, with any jack selecting butts 46 passing in line therewith. When thus selected or raised, master butts 47 engage master cam 77 and the jacks are thereby elevated to raise their needles for substantially the same distance.

Cams 78 are jack levelling cams and cams 79 lower raised jacks by contact with but-ts Cams 80 are for the purpose of raising jacks to a safe position if a master butt should break by acting upon butts 48.

Each of these selecting units is accompanied by a rotatable drum (not shown) having pattern disks or other means thereon for actuating the plungers 76 according to a pattern. Each selecting unit is substantially identical with others. Of course, those at each station are oppositely disposed to select their jacks and needles before these enter their cams and one only at each station functions in each reciprocatory stroke. They may be removed from action at will and means other than the pattern drums may cause some or all plungers to be withdrawn or rendered active as a group, such means not being necessary of description here and being fully disclosed in the above-mentioned patent.

For the purposes of the present invention the selecting stations B and C effect the selection of short butt needles only by acting upon the lowermost butt 46 of the jacks of those needles, that butt having been removed from the jacks of the long butt needles as seen in FIG. 17. Of course, in other parts of the stocking additional butts will be provided in rows above that of the lowermost butt and on various ones of the jacks according to the particular pattern desired. The short butt needles are caused to knit the instep tab at the auxiliary feeding station, the selecting stations A and D remaining inactive during the toe knitting. Selection of needles takes place only once per stroke, the selecting plungers 76 being withdrawn to an inactive position prior to the second passage of some of the needles therethr ough.

The long butt needles and only those needles are selected to knit the sole tab at the regular feeding station by means of the raise earns 67 and 68 which at appropriate times are moved inwardly part way only toward the cylinder leaving a gap therebetween to permit short butt needles to pass by unaffected. These cams act upon the long butt needles at one passage only through a cam set or station on any single stroke of knitting notwithstanding the fact that some of those needles pass the same cams twice. That is accomplished by controlling those cams by pattern means of any convenient type to be projected into butt engaging relationship and to be withdrawn upon passage of that needle group after a single pass where they are maintained until the same point in the following cycle is reached, or until a change is made. The end drums 81 (FIG. 6) of the S.C.O.P. machine are preferably used for this purpose as more fully described in United States Patent No. 2,217,022. It is to be noted that the raise cam 67 may be moved all the way in against the cylinder to affect selection of all the needles at certain times, for example, when knitting the loopers rounds in circular work. There is a primary control which permits these cams to become effective to a greater or lesser degree and also acts to withdraw them from having any action at all. That for the rear raise cam 68 comprises a control as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. A slide 82 is guided for vertical motion as controlled by a lever 83 pivoted to the lower end of the slide at pin 84. This lever is itself pivoted at 85 to any suitable fixed part of the machine.

At its opposite end this lever has the usual toe or follower 86 which bears upon certain cams on a drum 87 fixed to the main cam shaft 88 and rotatable thereby as the latter is ratcheted in stepped movements at major changes in the knitting process and as governed by the main chain or other master pattern control. The slide acts upon the cam 68 by way of a follower F attached to and extending laterally from the stem S of the cam.

In FIG. 4 a side view of cams 68 and is shown, the cam 68 being in toward the cylinder to take long butt needles only, the cam 70 being withdrawn from action. Cam 68 never engages short butt needles, its movement being limited by stop screw 89. The slide 82 is illustrated in three positions which it may occupy, these positions being governed in accordance with the presence of a cam on drum 87 under toe 86 and the heighth of that cam on which the toe may be resting.

Specifically, the cams on this drum control the functions of the rear needle raise and draw-down cams in various parts of a stocking as follows:

In FIG. 3 the toe 86 is resting on the cam 90 in which position the slide 82 is in its intermediate (full line) position. There the cam 70 is withdrawn and cam 68 is in to take long butt needles only during knitting of the two toe tabs. The cam section 91 governs the knitting of the loopers rounds during which the slide is in its lowermost position and both cams 68 and 70 are withdrawn. Those cams remain withdrawn as a new stocking is begun with the knitting of the top 30 at which time the cam section 92 is controlling. In the leg the toe 86 drops to the surface of the drum itself raising the slide to its uppermost position thus allowing the cam 70 to move against the cylinder, the cam 68 dropping in to affect the long butt needles. Then in the heel the cam 93 lowers the slide to its intermediate position to withdraw cam 70, cam 68 reniaining in its previous position. Finally, in the foot the toe 86 is back on the drum surface to raise the slide and to allow cam 70 to move in against the cylinder again.

During knitting in a counterclockwise direction it is necessary further to withdraw the raise cam 68 from action and for that purpose a so-called secondary control means is provided to derive an indication from a rotatable cam mounted on the end drum 81 to withdraw the raise cam during the entirety of each counterclockwise stroke and to release it during a portion of the clockwise stroke. That mechanism is illustrated in FIG. 5 and comprises a link member 94 suitably connected to an actuating cam on the end drum 81 in a manner more fully disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,217,022. The other end of the link member engages one arm 95 of a bell crank lever pivoted at 96 on a plate 97, the second arm 98 of the lever abutting a pin 99 projecting upwardly from the stern S. A spring 100 urges cam 68 toward the cylinder. The cams on the drum 81 which affect raise cam 68 are so disposed as to draw the latter out to inactive position as soon as the long butt needles have passed through so that on the second or other half of a somewhat less than two revolution stroke, the raise cam is ineffective, that is, it acts upon the same needles only once per stroke.

The front raise cam 67 similarly has a primary control (FIG. 7) effective during major changes only and a secondary control (FIG. 6) effective during every clockwise stroke of the needle cylinder. Cam 67 is primarily controlled by the mechanism of FIG. 7 in which the drum 101 on the main drum shaft 88 and cams thereon act on a toe 102 of a bar 103 connected adjustably to a stepped cam 104. The latter having four steps can draw the cam outwardly as the bar and toe are moved upwardly. The stepped part acts against an adjustable follower 105 attached to and extending laterally from the stem 106 of the cam. A spring (not shown) tends to pull the cam in toward the cylinder and a stop screw 107 limits its motion. In the relative position of the various cams shown in FIG. 7, the cam 67 is part way in toward the cylinder to raise long butt needles. As seen in the labeled cam layout of the drum 101 this position is maintained throughout the knitting of the leg, heel, foot and toe of the stocking. During the knitting of the loopers rounds the toe 102 drops to the surface of the drum to allow cam 67 to go in all the way against the cylinder to raise all needles into a knitting track at the regular feeding station. The cam is withdrawn entirely for a brief instant while a few courses of elastic yarn are being laid in at the beginning of a new stocking top and the cam then goes in again against the cylinder for the remainder of the top.

Additionally, the front needle raise cam 67 is provided with a secondary control mechanism as illustrated in FIG. 6 which is quite similar to that of FIG. for the rear raise cam, and which comprises a bell crank 108 pivoted at 109 on plate 110 and having a pivoted arm or extension 111 engageable with a pin 112 projecting upwardly from stem 106 of the cam and through a slotin the plate. The bell crank is actuated to draw the cam out away from needle butts by cams 113 on end drums 81 acting on levers 114 pivoted at 115 to any convenient part of the machine. A link 116 interconnects lever 114 to bell crank 108. The cams 113 are disposed as to draw the cam 67 out from its intermediate to an inactive position as soon as all the long butt needles have traversed the cam in a counterclockwise direction and to maintain the raise cam in its inactive position on the second half of the somewhat less than two-revolution stroke in that direction as well as for the entire clockwise stroke.

It will now be evident that the raise cam 67 is active during the knitting of the toe tabs only upon the long butt needles and once only in the counterclockwise direction of rotation while the raise cam 68 is similarly effective upon those same needles in the opposite direction.

The front draw-down cam 69, FIG. 8, is also urged inwardly by a spring and is drawn out by another row of cams on a drum 117 fixed to the main pattern shaft 88, and acting on bar 118 with a toe 119. This bar acts on the cam through a bell crank 119' pivoted at 120 and having one arm connected to the bar and the other engageable behind a laterally extending follower 121 adjustably fixed to cam stem 122'. Cam 69 is movable to two positions only, being withdrawn away from the cylinder in the heel and toe and being in against the cylinder at other times as evident from the cam layout of drum 117.

This general description of the front and rear needle raise and'draw-down cams and their primary and secondary control mechanisms is directed toward a general understanding thereof, the need for which will be better understood later when a disclosure of the actual timed operation of an entire cycle is given.

While the regular and auxiliary feeding stations have been referred to in a general way before, they were'not described in any detail. In FIG. 9 a number of independently controlled yarn feeding fingers 123 are movable to and from position to feed their yarn to the needles at theregular feeding station 49 and at the auxiliary station similar fingers 124 perform the same general function. These fingers are carried by the usual carrier ring 125 which is pivoted to be swung upwardly out of action in the usual way when so desired. United States Patent No. 2,625,808 discloses a preferred mechanism which actuates these fingers in properly timed sequence.

FIGS. to 16 illustrate particularly the changes which have been made to the auxiliary feeding station. In order to form the two toe tabs simultaneously, one at each of the-feeding stations, it is necessary to provide narrowing means at that station as well as at the regular station. Accordingly, there is provided a cam plate 126 on which is slidably supported a cam block 127 of conventional design and on which are mounted stitch earns 61 and 62. Front and rear clamp member 128 and 129 are fastened to the plate by screws 136 in overying relationship to the lower extensions 131 and 132 of the block which are slidable in the space between the clamp and plate. A

slide member 133 is fastened to the bottom of the block and guides the latter along a slot formed within the top portion of the plate and in which the slide member is partially received. A widening pick bracket 134 bridges over the cam block and is fastened to the tops of the front and rear clamp members by screws 135. A guard cam bracket 136 is fixed to the top center of bracket 134 by means of a pair of screws 137 and the guard cam 73 is attached to a flange 137 depending from the inner edge of the bracket.

The portion of the auxiliary station thus far described is Well known and is more fully disclosed in United States Patent No. 2,217,022 and other patents. A center cam 13% is slidably mounted to the underside of the widening pick bracket above the opening between the stitch cams and is retained in position by means of an L-shaped cap 139 (FIG. 15) fastened to the bracket by screws 140, the cap engaging a lip 141 extending outwardly from the center cam. As seen in FIG. 12 the slidable cam includes a pair of spaced cam members 142 and 143 disposed at about 45 degrees in opposite directions from the vertical whose inner faces are in flush contact with the outer surface of the needle cylinder. Each of those cam members includes an outer camming edge 144 and an inner camming edge 145 generally parallel to each other in the case of each cam member. The cam 138 is slidable between the solid and dotted line positions of FIG. 12 within limits established by stop screws 146 and 147 which protrude toward each other from the front and rear faces of the widening pick bracket and whose settings are held fast by set screws 148 and 149 threaded inwardly from the outer face of that bracket.

A supporting bracket 156 is fastened to the outer face of the auxiliary cam block by means of screws 151 and includes a lower horizontal shelf 152 and an upper shelf 153. A U-shaped block 154 is inversely suspended from the lower shelf by a pair of screws 155, 156. A tubular member 157 is freely supported Within openings provided in each of the depending legs of block 154 for oscillation therein and has its lower central portion removed to pro vide a pair of co-planar flat surfaces extending along a portion of the length of the tubular member (FIGS. 13 and 16).

A double acting narrowing pick 158 is formed of circular stock and at its inner end is provided with a pair of opposed butt receiving notches 159 and 160 separated by a wall 161. The opposite end of the pick is milled to provide upper and lower horizontal parallel surfaces 162 and 163. A screw 164 is inserted into a bushing 165 and both extend through a vertical opening in the flattened end of the pick, the screw being threaded into the upper portion of the tubular member as seen in FIG. 10a. The pick is thereby supported for free motion in anyplane. A spring 166 interconnects the extreme outer end of the pick with the upper shelf 153 to urge the opposite end of the pick into a downward or active position into the apex of a V-shaped guiding block 167 fastened to the inner face of the cam block by means of a pair of screws 168, 169 thereby providing guiding edges 170 and 171 along one of which the pick rides during a needle transfer from one cam track to another.

Thus, asthe needle cylinder is rotating in a counterclockwise direction, the butts of needles selected to knit at the auxiliary feeding station will pass up'over the back of cam 62 and will strike the edge 144 of carn member 143 on the sliding center cam to urge the latter to the solid line position of FIG. 12. The needle butts will then pass down the edge 144, the leading one thereof being received in the notch 16!) of the pick to cause the latter to ride up the edge 170 of the V-block. The swing of the pick causes the end of the latter to move away from the cylinder as seen in FIG. 10 thereby providing a clearance to release the needle butt at about the midpoint of the cam member 142 whereupon the butt is raised further by the 9 cam edge 145 to a position at which it will remain until lowered by one of cams 69 or 70.

When the direction of rotation of the cylinder is reversed to clockwise, the opposite will take place, the sliding cam moving to the dotted line position of FIG. 12, the pick riding along the guiding edge 171 to discharge a needle butt to be further raised by the camming edge 145 of cam member 143. Of course, in either direction of rotation the following selected needle butts will be lowered by either cam 61 or 62 to a stitch drawing level.

There are times when it is desired to render the pick 158 inactive and for that purpose the mechanism as illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16 has been provided to raise the active end of the pick up into the opening between cam members 142 and 143 and out of the knitting track. That device includes a lifting arm 172 forming the central portion of a generally U-shaped member having legs 173 and 174 into openings in which reduced ends of tubular member 157 are press fitted. The leg 173 has an extension 174 connected to a linking rod 175 which is further linked to an extension 176 fixed to one side of a follower arm 177 pivoted at 178. The arm has a toe 179 at its end adapted to derive indications from a cam 180 on the end drum 181 at the left side of the machine.

Now referring to FIGS. 18 to 23, a description of the cycle of knitting will be given in order to convey an understanding of the operation of this mechanism and the method by which a toe according to the invention is produced. In these figures the cams are illustrated as looking outwardly from the inside of the needle cylinder. In FIG. 18 the last course in the knitting of the foot of the stocking is shown, that being in a counterclockwise direction. The foot may be formed either in circular work or in reciprocation to include'a pattern as illustrated in FIG. 1. Here a split foot pattern is being knitted, the long butt needles knitting the sole and short butt needles the instep, a straight edge being formed between the contrastingly colored yarns in accordance with copending application No. 68,507, filed November 10, 1960. Needle raise cam 68 is out of action and short butt needles are selected at station C to knit at the auxiiiary feeding station. These needles will be represented by short dashes as shown in FIGS. 18 to 23 while the long butt needles will be represented by long dashes. The last needle 182 of the long butt group will be selected at station C but that needle will be raised by pick 158 at the auxiliary feeding station up over cam member 142 and will have yarn wrapped around its shank and will be lowered upon reaching cam 69 to knit last with the long butt group, all of which are selected by cam 67 to knit at the regular feeding station, picks 57 and 58 being out of action at this time. During the remainder of the stroke each group passes inactively through the cam blocks, the cam 67 and plungers 76 being withdrawn after the first passage of the respective needles therethrough. Prior to the completion of the strokes at 20 move or kick is taken on the main drum in a conventional manner to withdraw the two drawn-down cams 69 and 7 ti.

FIG. 19 represents the first course to be knitted in the toe and this takes place in a clockwise direction. The picks at the regular feed remain out of action, and at the beginning of the stroke the front raise cam 67 is out of action and the rear raise cam 68 is in to take long butt needles only which are selected to knit the sole tab at the regular feed. Selecting station E simultaneously effects selection of all the short butt needles to cause them to knit the instep tab at the auxiliary feeding station, the leading one of that group being raised by the pick 158 to an inactive level to begin the narrowing of that tab.

FIG. 20 is an illustration of the first course knitted in the toe tabs in the counterclockwise direction. At the beginning of that stroke a 40 move is made on the main pattern drum bringing the picks at the regular side into action. The short butt needles are again selected to knit at the auxiliary feed and the long butt needles at the regular feed, the leading needle being raised to an inactive level by the proper pick at each of the stations. At this time, of course, front raise cam 67 is active and rear raise cam 68 is inactive, the former being withdrawn as soon as all long butt needles have been selected as previously.

In FIG. 21 the following clockwise stroke is shown, each group of needles again knitting at its respective station as in FIG. 19, except that the leading needle of the long butt group is raised to an inactive level by pick 58.

The steps shown in FIGS. 20 and 21 are then repeated until approximately eighteen needles in each tab remain in the knitting track, the remainder having been raised to the inactive level in the narrowing process. Then, during a counterclockwise stroke a 40 move is again made on the main drum to bring the front drawdown cam 69 into action in between the two groups of raised long butt needles, also to draw the front raise cam 67 all the way in against the cylinder and to render selection station C inactive just after the latter has selected the short butt needles to knit in that stroke. All the previously raised needles are lowered into a knitting track at the regular feeding station while all remaining needles are selected to knit thereat by the raise cam 67. This is shown in FIG. 22. It thus becomes apparent that all of the previously raised or retired needles are automatically returned into the knitting track.

Finally, all needles are caused to knit about twelve courses to serve as loopers rounds at the regular feeding station as shown in FIG. 23.

The toe thus formed is now in condition to be closed by looping, seaming or the like and is especially adapted to being sewn since there is no pocket with looper line offset to one side. The symmetry of the tabs lends them to being superimposed in registry to be fed and guided into a sewing machine, sewed, and the excess material cut away and discharged. Thus, closing the toe becomes a task requiring much less skill, time and expense than has been necessary in looping. Of course, the toe may still be looped as easily or with greater ease than heretofore.

While one embodiment and a modification of the invention have been disclosed, it is to be understood that the inventive concept may be carried out in a number of ways. This invention is, therefore, not to be limited to the precise details described, but is intended to embrace all variations and modifications thereof falling within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A method of knitting a toe of a circularly knitted article of hosiery on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having needles, a relatively rotatable and reciprocable needle cylinder, cam means fixedly mounted with respect to each other and at equal levels and yarn feeding means at each of two feeding stations, which comprises the steps of dividing the needles into an instep group and a sole group, causing one of said groups of needles to take yarn and knit at the cam means of one of said stations and progressively retiring terminal needles alternately from each side of said one group from action to knot a narrowed tab, and simultaneously causing the other of said groups of needles to take yarn and knit at the cam means of the other of said stations and progressively retiring terminal needles alternately from each side of said group from action to knit a second narrowed tab opposite the first automatically returning all of said retired needles into a knitting track, and then knitting a plurality of loopers rounds with all of the needles of said knitting machine.

2. A method of knitting a toe of a circularly knitted article of hosiery on a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having needles, a relatively rotatable and reciprocable needle cylinder, cam means fixedly mounted with respect to each other and at equal levels and yarn feeding means at each of two feeding stations, which comprises the steps of dividing the needles into an instep group and a sole group, reciprocating said needles so that each of said groups of'needles passes both of said cam means and yarn feeding means at least once at each stroke, causing one of said groups of needles to take yarn and to knit at the cam means of one of said stations and progressively retiring terminal needles alternately from each side of said one group from action to knit a'narrowed tab, and simultaneously causing the other of said groups of needles to take yarn-and to knitat the cam means of the other of said stations and progressively retiring terminal needles alternately from each side of said other group from action to knit a second narrowed'tab opposite the first, each of said groups of needles knitting only once during'each stroke of the cylinder automatically returning all of said retired needles into a knitting track, and then knitting a'plurality of loopers rounds with all ofthe needles of said'knitting machine.

3. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein inactive needles are passed through the cam means in w'elt position and said retired needles only are elevated above the cam means.

4. A method as defined in claim 2 wherein needles of one of said groups are retired fromaction at one of said feeding stations, and needles of the other of said groups are retired from action at'the other of said feeding stations.

5. In'a knitting machine the combination of knitting cam means and yarn feeding means at a pair of feeding stations, a needle cylinder, needles'operatively carried in said cylinder, said cylinder and needles being rotatable and reciprocable relatively to said feeding stations, at one of said stations a single needle raising pick effective in both directions of reciprocation, said pick being pivotable intermediate its ends, a V-shaped member effective to guide said pick during its functioning, and a slidable member having cammed outer edges at opposite ends thereof for guiding needle butts into said pick.

6. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting cam means and yarn feeding means at a pair of feeding stations, a needle cylinder, needles operatively carried in said cylinder, said cylinder and needles being rotatable and reciprocable relatively to said feeding stations, at one of said stations at single needle raising pick elfective in both directions of reciprocation, said pick being pivotable intermediate its ends, a V-shaped member effective to guide said pick during its functioning, and a slidable member having cammed outer edges at opposite ends thereof for guiding needle butts into said pick and cammed inner edges effective upon needles upon release thereof by said pick.

7. In a knitting machine the combination of knitting cam means and yarn feedingmeans at a pair of feeding stations, a needle cylinder, needles operatively carried in said cylinder, said cylinder and needles being rotatable and reciprocable relatively to said feeding stations, at one of said stations a single needle raising pick efiective in both directions of reciprocation, said pick being pivotable intermediate its ends, a V-shaped member eifective to guide said pick during its functioning, and a slidable member having cammed outer edges at opposite ends thereof for guiding needle butts into said pick, said pick further being selectively controllable between active and inactive positions, the latter being disposed within the confines of said slidable member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 774,124 Williams Nov. 1, 1940 1,147,531 Mills July 20, 1915 1,184,501 Williams May 23, 1916 1,411,355 Hirner Apr. 4, 1922 2,127,178 Lawson Aug. 16, 1938 2,361,280 Fregeolle Oct. 24, 1944 2,932,959 Getaz Apr. 19, 1960 2,939,302 Letzerich June 7, 1960 

1. A METHOD OF KNITTING A TOE OF A CIRCULARLY KNITTED ARTICLE OF HOSIERY ON A CIRCULAR, INDEPENDENT NEEDLE, KNITTING MACHINE HAVING NEEDLES, A RELATIVELY ROTATABLE AND RECIPROCABLE NEEDLE CYLINDER, CAM MEANS FIXEDLY MOUNTED WITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER AND AT EQUAL LEVELS AND YARN FEEDING MEANS AT EACH OF TWO FEEDING STATIONS, WHICH COMPRISES THE STEPS OF DIVIDING THE NEEDLES INTO AN INSTEP GROUP AND A SOLE GROUP, CAUSING ONE OF SAID GROUPS OF NEEDLES TO TAKE YARN AND KNIT AT THE CAM MEANS OF ONE OF SAID STATIONS AND PROGRESSIVELY RETIRING TERMINAL NEEDLES ALTERNATELY FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID ONE GROUP FROM ACTION TO KNOT A NARROWED TAB, AND SIMULTANEOUSLY CAUSING THE OTHER OF SAID GROUPS OF NEEDLES TO TAKE YARN AND KNIT AT THE CAM MEANS OF THE OTHER OF SAID STATIONS AND PROGRESSIVELY RETIRING TERMINAL NEEDLES ALTERNATELY FROM EACH SIDE OF SAID GROUP FROM ACTION TO KNIT A SECOND NARROWED TAB OPPOSITE THE FIRST AUTOMATICALLY RETURNING ALL OF SAID RETIRED NEEDLES INTO A KNITTING TRACK, AND THEN KNITTING A PLURALITY OF LOOPERS ROUNDS WITH ALL OF THE NEEDLES OF SAID KNITTING MACHINE. 